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Who is the Food Network Addict? He's the guy serving up the latest news and gossip on your favorite celebrity chefs. From Rachael Ray to Ina Garten, Paula Deen to Giada, he's got you covered. Stop by daily and feed your addiction.

Wednesday, January 28

I feel like the overall vibe on Ask Aida needs to be cranked up about 60%, which is strange for me to say because I generally don't like zany, over-the-top Food Network shows. And even though Aida's sidekick Noah Starr does say some pretty wacky things, I'm not entirely blown away by his performance... if you can call it that.

Still, his alma mater Boston University, produly features Starr in a recent article highlighting his accomplishments.

When Starr learned the Food Network was looking for a sidekick for its new cooking show, he did a screen test and landed the job. “It was the culmination of two things,” he says. “I really like comedy and performing, and I really like food and cooking.”

Ask Aida, which premiered in August 2008, is the Food Network’s latest attempt to appeal to a new generation of viewers. “The show is for a younger crowd,” Starr says. “The idea is that it’s just two people hanging out in the kitchen — one who’s a gorgeous woman who can cook, and one who just happens to be a geeky guy who knows how to use computers.”

I can see it now: SHE's a T-shirt Model who dispenses culinary advice in the most unconvincing and unentertaining way possible. HE looks like the grow-up version of Fred Savage's little brother and speaks in bland geek jargon. Together they are: A Really Bad Cooking Show. Coming this spring on FN...

The show would work much better without him. He's incredibly annoying. I'm not sure why he's a computer geek -- if opening e-mails and getting onto the Internet makes you a computer geek, then I guess we all are. He's just an ugly, chubby guy with no personality who has no chemistry with the host. Just admit he has no place on the show and dump him already. If they think the show needs HIM because she's not good enough alone, it doesn't say much for her.

Tuschman: You said you read Jakes blog, so hopefully you can digest this.

FN is not MTV you asswipe. Not every 15-25 yr old wants to watch a food/culinary channel, so stop thinking you can bring them in and emulate other TV stations numbers within the age segment.

You are flushing your TV station down the crapper dude with some of the dumbass moves and appointments you make. You need to look up the word quality in the dictionary, because I know you don't know the proper meaning.

Why don't you and few other pointy head FN people go take a 2 week retreat somewhere to try and revitalize the creative process because you are right at the bottom of barrel now Bobby T.

I think they could pull this show off if they focused more on the cooking and less tech. I'm an IT guy myself and can't stand watching Noah. "Let me get her on the phone as if this were a live show." No one is fooled by these gimmicks. We know the calls are pre-planned, we know you used Wikipedia to learn about the obscure "gadget du jour," and we know Food Network doesn't use GMail for their in-house email.

Bob T. needs to move this show into either a daily live show where people can call in or get rid of the in-your-face technology plugs and move it into the show Good Eats seems to have left vacant.

Please... Give us NEWS! which FN shows are being picked up and the ones that are being dumped- not so much the stupid stuff. You do not have to post EVERY day if it is not worthwhile. Is it still freezing in DC?

I suspect they have this lame format because Aida previously did cooking how-to videos on the Chow web site. "Hey, since Aida was doing web videos on a cooking community site, let's pretend her FoodTV show is interactive high-tech and it will draw in the same audience."

I really am trying to watch the show, but is it so lame as someone said above. I agree with several posters on here. The show is totally a joke because we don't believe for a minute that the questions aren't pre-screened and answered weeks before they go on the air. And the questions are so lame; uninteresting questions and totally boring answers.

Someone above has it right, Bob T. and the FN gurus are watering down the FN with all of these type of shows. I wonder, do you think chefs/hosts like Ina, Bobby, Mario, etc. have watched these shows and were horrified. Maybe this is why Emeril has left/cut back...?

Ask Aida is a lame attempt at varied broadcasting. Aida and Noah aren't yet comfortable on camera, and their pitiful attempts at acting surprised and knowledgable kill me. Does anyone watch that show? Really?

Alec is so right about FN show's. Who can prove to me any belief about these so called ratings. Trust me these people they contacted DID NOT watch any of their stupid shows on now, they watched the original ones. Aida and her sidekick what a horrible, horrible show. Watch PBS more and more.

When Sarah M did it it was even more of a snoozefest than this trash. Boring suburban housewife with the charm of a dead eel and a self-satisfied sense of being "the smart one" sharing her wisdom with the unwashed masses.

Sorry. I don't like Aida's show, Noah is an asshat dork, and she's dimmer than at 20 watt bulb, but Sarah Moulton was a boring middle class cow who made sure everyone knew she was the smartest kid in class. Only person worse than her back in the day on FN was that pompous douchebag David Rosengarten.

When Sarah M did it it was even more of a snoozefest than this trash. Boring suburban housewife with the charm of a dead eel and a self-satisfied sense of being "the smart one" sharing her wisdom with the unwashed masses.

Sorry. I don't like Aida's show, Noah is an asshat dork, and she's dimmer than at 20 watt bulb, but Sarah Moulton was a boring middle class cow who made sure everyone knew she was the smartest kid in class. Only person worse than her back in the day on FN was that pompous douchebag David Rosengarten.

I love watching Noah Starr, he has the Tech info to help Aida and boost her show up in ratings. He is also fund to watch with his cooky little wise cracks. He is also Jewish.Love you Noah, you deserve to be a Jew!

This show is crap - Aida is a snob who can't answer a question - she spouts a fact or two, but skirts the question the viewer asked. And the questions - can't they read a Betty Crocker basic cookbook? (The 1951 edition is the greatest how to do everything book) Maybe Aida, a consultant turned chef, should read BC as well. Will someone at FN save us from this drivel? Bring the "Everyday Food" ladies to FN - they give you sound recipes for everyday cooking....

I cannot stand this show. I've given it several tries, but can't get into it. I feel like she's telling me things that Rachael already told me years ago. Also, I get sick of that little teenage flirting between the two of them. Please.